South Sudan Peace Process: The Politics of Delay

The Conflict Research Programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science published on 2 December 2019 a paper titled "South Sudan: The Politics of Delay" by Alex de Waal, Alan Boswell, David Deng, Rachel Ibreck, Matthew Benson and Jan Pospisil.

The authors conclude that the single most important concern during the current 100 day delay in the peace process is maintaining the ceasefire in South Sudan; a slow political process is far preferable to a return to war. A close second is maintaining forward motion in addressing the governance issues facing the country; continued discussion is better than a lurch into authoritarianism. The 100 day delay should be seen by international policy makers as an opportunity for advancing consultation and strengthening action towards a peace agenda.

South Sudan: Armed Groups and Mediation

The Institute for Security Studies published in December 2018 a report titled "Compound Fractures: Political Formations, Armed Groups and Regional Mediation in South Sudan" by David Deng, South Sudanese/US human rights lawyer.

The author concludes that although IGAD was ultimately successful in brokering an agreement among the conflicting parties, the mediation has struggled with major challenges throughout the conflict, including the zero-sum thinking of the warring parties, which remain committed to military solutions and unwillingness to compromise. This has led to the rise of various armed opposition groups in recent years.

South Sudan: What Is Impact of Peace Agreement on Refugees and IDPs?

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) posted on 9 January 2019 a commentary titled "South Sudan: 'Whose Power Are They Sharing Anyway?'" by Omar Mahmood, ISS Addis Ababa, and Thijs Van Laer, International Refugee Rights Initiative in Uganda.

South Sudan's 2.5 million refugees and 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are frustrated about the IGAD peace process and feel left behind. The authors argue that refugees and IDPs must be properly informed about the peace deal and more closely connected to its implementation and monitoring.

Recommendations for Dealing with South Sudan

The Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington published in September 2015 a briefing paper titled "Tackling the South Sudan Conflict within a Complicated Regional Security Complex" by Getachew Zeru Gebrekidan, Southern Voices Network Scholar. 

The paper consists of a series of recommendations for dealing with the conflict in South Sudan. 

The author also wrote a more detailed analysis of the conflict with the same title published by the Woodrow Wilson Center.

South Sudan's Peace Process Requires Inclusion

The Weekly Wonk published on 13 August 2015 a commentary titled "Without Inclusion, No Hope for Peace in South Sudan" by Kelly Case, program manager for The Institute for Inclusive Security.  She argues the best way to achieve peace in South Sudan is to prioritize meaningful representation of civil society, especially women's groups, in all decision-making bodies related to the peace process.

South Sudan Factions Committed to Military Solution

The Enough Project published in September 2014 a report titled "Spoils of War, Spoilers of Peace: Changing the Calculus of South Sudan's Deadly Conflict" by Justine Fleischner.  The author concludes that South Sudan's warring elites remain committed to a military solution.  Any agreement that fails to address the economics of violence or end cycles of impunity risks a return to conflict.